Cyprus Moves to Deport Refugees Accused of Attacking Israeli Tourists

Authorities in Cyprus announced today (Sunday) that they have begun proceedings to revoke the asylum status of two suspects in the violent assault of three Israeli tourists in central Nicosia. Against the suspects, Syrian nationals who received protection and legal status in the country, officials are advancing procedures that could lead to their deportation from the island.

According to reports in the local media, the attack took place last week on Thrakis Street in the Cypriot capital. The three Israelis were violently assaulted, and one of them required medical treatment after his ear was injured by a sharp object during the incident.

Cyprus Deputy Minister of Migration Nicholas Ioannides said that the two suspects were arrested shortly after the attack. According to him, following the incident, he ordered the launch of a formal process aimed at revoking the asylum status granted to them. In an interview with the local newspaper "Phileleftheros," Ioannides stressed that the authorities do not intend to let acts of this kind pass without consequence.

The deputy minister said: "Foreign nationals who do not respect the country hosting them and are involved in criminal acts will face the consequences, and their status will be revoked."

Israel’s ambassador to Cyprus, Oren Anolik, addressed the case last week and sharply condemned the attack. In a statement he published, he wrote: "I am deeply shocked by the violent attack against Israeli citizens in Nicosia, who were assaulted only because they are Jewish. I thank the local police for the swift arrest of the suspects. Against the backdrop of the troubling and unusual rise in the number of antisemitic incidents in the country, I call on leaders to clearly and firmly condemn what is happening."

According to reports in Cyprus, the action taken against the suspects is part of a broader trend of tightening policy toward asylum seekers from Syria. In recent months, courts in the country have approved several decisions rejecting asylum applications submitted by Syrian nationals, thereby allowing authorities to move forward with removal and deportation proceedings in various cases.